Green For All Response to President’s State of The Union Address

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 12, 2013

Contact: Alyssa Cocchipress@gfa.fchq.ca(202) 828-0940

WASHINGTON, DC—In response to President Obama’s State of the Union address, in which he called for simultaneous, meaningful progress on climate change and strong economic growth, Green for All CEO Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins issued the following response:

"Climate change is real and so is the need for economic opportunity—especially if you’re from low-income or communities of color, which are more susceptible to extreme storms like Nemo, Sandy, and Katrina. In neighborhoods with the fewest resources, it’s hard to escape, survive, and recover.

We agree with President Obama. A knee-jerk posture that pits the environment against economics just isn’t going to work anymore. If you’re a mom with an asthmatic child; a job-seeker who was laid off in an industry that’s not coming back; or a grandma that can’t afford to turn up the air conditioning no matter how hot it gets—this is a no brainer. We’ve got to tackle climate change and kick-start the economy at the same time.

Like the President, we believe that accelerating the transition to a clean energy economy will move us forward on both protecting the environment and creating jobs. Holding fossil fuel industries accountable for their pollution generates revenue that can help reduce the deficit. Investing in infrastructure projects that enable our communities to withstand extreme heat, super storms, and other effects of climate change creates good paying jobs. And training workers in new, clean energy jobs gives families a healthier, more prosperous future."